"We believe Yu Yu Hakusho® - with its deep story, memorable characters, and dedicated TV fan base - is a rich franchise with which to make great video games," said Nancy MacIntyre, vice president of Marketing for Atari's Beverly Studio. "We are excited to once again partner with FUNimation on Yu Yu Hakusho® and hope to duplicate the success we have achieved with Dragon Ball Z®."
"One of the reasons we love working with the team at Atari is the company's pursuit of the highest standards of quality and authenticity. This effort shines in its release of Yu Yu Hakusho®: Spirit Detective(tm), and Atari is well on its way to successfully establishing Yu Yu Hakusho® as a premier interactive entertainment franchise on par with its work with Dragon Ball Z®," said Gen Fukunaga, president of FUNimation. "This video game will give fans and gamers in the United States their first chance to interact with this engaging series. We're very excited to see Spirit Detective added to an already impressive list of licensed products."
Yu Yu Hakusho® follows the story of 14-year-old Yusuke Urameshi, a young rebel frustrated by a lack of direction in life. When he unexpectedly sacrifices his own life to save a child from a deadly traffic accident, he is given a second chance and is allowed to return to Earth - but not to the life he left behind. Yusuke has been granted some amazing new powers, and if he wants to live again, he must use them for the cause of good.
Developed by Sensory Sweep Studios, Yu-Yu Hakusho®: Spirit Detective(tm) allows players to assume the role of six major characters, including Yusuke, Kuwabara, Kurama, Hiei, Botan and Kayko, and explore 22 challenging levels, each recreating the major milestones from the show's Spirit Detective Saga. Each character is armed with several different weapons and abilities from the animated series. Featuring the well-known story lines from the animated series, Spirit Detective(tm) also includes some surprises designed to keep the story fresh and exciting for fans.
Yu-Yu Hakusho®: Spirit Detective(tm) is scheduled to ship this December for Nintendo's Game Boy® Advance at a suggested retail price of $29.99. This product has not yet been rated by the ESRB.